AMN
The Spanish Government has stripped Catalonia’s most senior police officials of their powers, hours after direct rule was imposed on the region. This is the first specific measure taken since the Catalan Parliament voted to declare independence.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has also announced the dissolution of the regional Parliament and the removal of the Catalan leader and called snap local elections.
Demonstrations for and against independence went on into the night. More are expected today with a rally for the unity of Spain and the constitution to be held in Madrid. The crisis began when Catalan leaders held an independence referendum, defying a ruling by the Constitutional Court which had declared it illegal.
The Catalan Government said that of the 43 percent of potential voters who took part, 90 percent were in favour of independence. Others boycotted the vote after the court ruling.
Yesterday the Catalan regional parliament voted to declare independence from Spain. Soon after, the Spanish Senate granted Mr Rajoy’s government the power to impose direct rule on Catalonia.
